No Money, No Food For You. School kids have lunches tossed in garbage.

[bessiedog]

Originally Posted by The Elkster

Just using some of the conservative logic I learned here on AO. Sheesh throw kids into the mix and people turn into bleeding hearts I guess. They are just people after all and haven't even paid their dues. Suck it up man. It could be worse. They could be denied healthcare cause mom and dad can't pay a private insurer making billions per year. C'est la vie. Life is tough. If they want more they can work for it. Surely if everyone just tried there would be enough six figure jobs for everyone and we'd find someone to fill the fast food serving and janitorial void that all these new six figure earners left behind. Life is good just shut up and got to work.

...... I see what your doin there

[The Elkster]

Originally Posted by brownbomber

Capitalism says find a employer with better benefits?

So you are going to let his kid suffer because he doesn't have benefits? Wow what a shrew. Think of the kids for goodness sake!

[brownbomber]

Originally Posted by The Elkster

So you are going to let his kid suffer because he doesn't have benefits? Wow what a shrew. Think of the kids for goodness sake!

No I was pointing out his reasoning back to him
But given the choice would gladly ensure his kid eats.

[bessiedog]

Anybody read Johnathan Swifts 'a modest proposal'.

I think we can 'satisfy' both ideologies here.

[javlin101]

Originally Posted by The Elkster

Just using some of the conservative logic I learned here on AO. Sheesh throw kids into the mix and people turn into bleeding hearts I guess. They are just people after all and haven't even paid their dues. Suck it up man. It could be worse. They could be denied healthcare cause mom and dad can't pay a private insurer making billions per year. C'est la vie. Life is tough. If they want more they can work for it. Surely if everyone just tried there would be enough six figure jobs for everyone and we'd find someone to fill the fast food serving and janitorial void that all these new six figure earners left behind. Life is good just shut up and got to work.

Yup trolling and my bet no children in your life. Life is tough, hope you never need tax payers dollars to help you along in your life. I am not a bleeding heart, have supported my children where needed. If the issue came up to support others less fortunate I would no problem. You sound like to bad let them fend for them self. Question are you a dooms day prep-er cause you sure sound like it.

[rwm1273]

Originally Posted by Redfrog

HMMM? It has nothing to do with WWII.

My point about WW2 was how the guards at the extermination camps claimed they were only following orders, and therefore any bad actions they did, was someone else's fault. Same issue here. If the decision to prevent the kids from having lunch was given from higher up, someone down the chain should have said this was wrong, and not gone around the lunch room taking food and tossing it.

[rwm1273]

Originally Posted by bessiedog

... Real ignorance.
It's extremely, extremely simple.
Feed kids before and during school and;

Marks go up
Behaviour improves
Attendance goes up.

And not a little bit. ALOT. Academic improvements go up by 10% or higher in some cases.

I sometimes thing no greater investment could happen.

Feed em. They're kids.

I think we're one of the few western countries that don't do lunch-school food programs.

More burgers might actually mean less welfare cheques down the line.

I fully agree. Feed your own population first before sending donations to nations like Afghanistan where you know the money is only going to line some government official's pocket.

[rwm1273]

Here is another school that takes the food away from an autistic child.

http://aattp.org/new-jersey-school-t...s-times-video/

And another article about delinquent lunches being tossed, and the fallout from the public.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/n...lunch/2824571/

[sjemac]

Originally Posted by rwm1273

Here is another school that takes the food away from an autistic child.

http://aattp.org/new-jersey-school-t...s-times-video/

And another article about delinquent lunches being tossed, and the fallout from the public.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/n...lunch/2824571/

If, as the superintendent says, they take the child aside and quietly explain to them why they can't have the hot lunch and then substitute it with a sandwich, I have no problem with them preventing the kid from buying something they do not have the money for. It's done with a minimum of embarrassment kid and he doesn't starve to death.

The other thing that gets me from both of these articles is the sense of entitlement people have. They absolutely expect that the school should now be feeding their children every day as well as educating them. It shouldn't surprise me I guess. I called a father at work the other day to come and pick up his son who had been injured on the playground and needed to go to the hospital for x-rays. The father replied, "You're really not going to put this on me are you?"

Originally Posted by rwm1273

My point about WW2 was how the guards at the extermination camps claimed they were only following orders, and therefore any bad actions they did, was someone else's fault. Same issue here. If the decision to prevent the kids from having lunch was given from higher up, someone down the chain should have said this was wrong, and not gone around the lunch room taking food and tossing it.

In this case, it now appears that the cafeteria worker was acting on their own without the approval of administration. They have since been placed on leave.

[greylynx]

I would say such actions break the legal responsibilty of "in loco parentis".

I would call Saul and demand a large restitution.

[TBD]

Socialism doesn't work.

The problem with gov't bureaucracies (schools) stepping into the parents realm of responsibility is that there will always be the savvy / negligent parents attempting to get a FREE ride, these programs will never work.

Reminds me of School fees here in Alberta ( or the past Health Care premiums) .... the parents that continue to PAY, get shafted with ever increasing amounts (to cover the ones abusing the system).

.... and the bureaucrats become Bill collectors resorting to pathetic collection attempts wasting more money.

The educators should stick to teaching - IMO


TBD

Originally Posted by The Elkster

Get them high priced socialized lunch programs out of the schools. People should pay to feed their own spawn. Provide a inexpensive fridge in each classroom and that is it. Kids are tough. I'm sure they will survive. Its a tough world out there. Chalk it up to a life lesson and move on. Too many bleeding heart liberals here!

PS ..... X2 - schools have no business running meal programs !


... want to FIX this problem, hire the CBC to start running nutritional programming, subsidize healthy staple food choices at the supermarket, deterrent labeling methods for unhealthy food choices ECT ECT ....


... throwing this important issue into the laps of our educators
... PLS they've got enough of their OWN ISSUES to address !

[Okotokian]

Originally Posted by Sneeze

I agree.

I shouldn't have to pay for other peoples kids. If you want to breed, pay for it yourself.

Sneeze, do you really not get it, or are you purposely trying to be obtuse?

No one (or most anyway) is arguing that the parents shouldn't pay for their children's food. The point is that the action should have been taken in such a way that it would not have unduly embarrased the children, who were not responsible for the situation. The children could have easily been told in advance (before lunch) that they were not eligible for the food that day (likely their teacher would have footed the bill). Or they could even have been denied when they came to the till. Instead they had people come to them after they had sat down with their food and friends and take it away from them. Do you really maintain that doing that is superior to the othe options I laid out?

[Big Daddy Badger]

Originally Posted by Sneeze

Bunch of bleeding heart pinko's around here.

Parents not paying their bill. What do you expect?

These kids are not going to starve going with out their oreo's for 3 hours until supper.

Pay to play.

If you are worried stop at your local school on your way to work and leave lunch money for all the students. Do it every day so the Lady never has to pack a lunch for mine.

Tax money isn't free money.

The point that you are missing is that food still didn't get paid for because it was given to those kids and then taken away to be thrown out.

Sure the parents need to pay but there is a difference between food being made and distributed to those who have not paid and food that is simply wasted.

Doing what they did was a greater waste than feeding someone for free.

In addition, while it is the parents responsability to pay... it is the administrations responsability to handle their bussiness transactions through communication with parents... not by applying bully tactics to children.

Pay your bills or we will publically humiliate your kid in a grand and cruel fashion...is not an acceptable way to do bussiness.

Once that food was given to those kids..... none of whom are actually responsable or involved in the bussiness side of things.... it was as good as gone.
There was no advantage to their actions other than to show kids that it is OK to be uncaring and cruel if there is money on the table.

The message recieved or understood by those kids...regardless of intent was that because they are poor and because mommy and daddy have no money... we... your teachers and the system feel it is our right to take YOUR food and throw it out because we prefer to do that rather than feed YOU...because YOU are worth less than that cra[ppy lunch...in our eyes. The real worth of people is measured by how much money they have and not in who they are or what they do.

Picture a man dying of thirst watching another pouring water into the sand because he has too much to carry. It is his water...he can do whatever he wishes with it but rather than share... he prefers to see another go without.

Whether real or not... that is likely how the average child would understand what just happened to them.

Its a system failure.
We teach kids to share and to co-operate.
Eating and food is a huge part of that... when we sit down together and break bread... we get along better...we experience community and we see people sharing not just the food but a common experience and their true self.
It is a very important lesson and one that sticks.

Now every one of those kids has experienced the lack of sincerity of those who run their little lives and it is a lesson that they will be reminded of every time they approach a meal for their rest of their lives.

Yes... bussiness is bussiness but chances are that all the kids understand is that for reasons beyond their control... someone took their food and threw it out.
The system kicked the kids while they were down and that is disgusting.

Again... the lunch program probably throws dozens of meals away every day which is far more wasteful than letting kids eat food that has already been offered them even if it had not been paid for by parents.

It would have been far better for the school to quietly inform the kids and the parents in an appropriate manner...that tomarrow... they would not be permitted to join the lineup.

It IS the poarents responsability to pay but that does not mean that those in authority at that schhol are not responsible for their own actions or the lessons that they teach.

[TBD]

so that HEAD of yours can come out of the BOX you're IN.

Originally Posted by Okotokian

Sneeze, do you really not get it, or are you purposely trying to be obtuse?

No one (or most anyway) is arguing that the parents shouldn't pay for their children's food. The point is that the action should have been taken in such a way that it would not have unduly embarrased the children, who were not responsible for the situation. The children could have easily been told in advance (before lunch) that they were not eligible for the food that day (likely their teacher would have footed the bill). Or they could even have been denied when they came to the till. Instead they had people come to them after they had sat down with their food and friends and take it away from them. Do you really maintain that doing that is superior to the othe options I laid out?

The issue here is not the method a school administrator used to address kids' parents who neglected to PAY their child's meal fee.

... more like the disturbing FACT we have educators that are co-parenting and not doing a very good job at it. This is a clear example of the states encroachment into the responsibilities of parenting and when their social experiments don't work out quiet as they've planned --- resort to abusing the children their ENtrusted to care for in the FIRST place.


TBD


PS .... UNBELIEVABLE !!

[Sledhead71]

Terribly sad in my eyes...

Years back I got word that locally here the school that educated me was in need of some assistance as there were a few students less fortunate than the rest who attend... The issues was breakfast, it was mentioned that some children were not blessed with the opportunity of a quality start to their day due to financial restrictions at home..

I have no children myself, but do understand the importance of our youth and the nutritional needs and felt I could make a difference..

And it began, I sponsor the local school with a breakfast program for any and all who wish to have a healthy start to their day.. It amazed me at the numbers of students who have taken advantage of this and in my heart I know I am making a difference..

[TomCanuck]

Meh, excellent use of lunch as a learning experience for the youngsters.

Today's object lesson kids, is this, there's no free lunch! Don't forget to tell your parents what you learned at school today! Maybe they'll learn to pay their bills.

[brownbomber]

Originally Posted by Sledhead71

Terribly sad in my eyes...

Years back I got word that locally here the school that educated me was in need of some assistance as there were a few students less fortunate than the rest who attend... The issues was breakfast, it was mentioned that some children were not blessed with the opportunity of a quality start to their day due to financial restrictions at home..

I have no children myself, but do understand the importance of our youth and the nutritional needs and felt I could make a difference..

And it began, I sponsor the local school with a breakfast program for any and all who wish to have a healthy start to their day.. It amazed me at the numbers of students who have taken advantage of this and in my heart I know I am making a difference..

Very kind of you. Good to see you putting children in a position to rise above what they were born into. A positive thing like this can only help.

[Okotokian]

Originally Posted by TBD

The issue here is not the method a school administrator used to address kids' parents who neglected to PAY their child's meal fee.

Actually it is. Check the title of this thread and the content and thrust of the story.

[huntinstuff]

Its not a matter of people unable to afford the fee. The fact is, many just refuse to pay it

I was treasurer for a kindergarten in Beaumont. $300 fee for kindergarten.

I had to send letters home weekly, asking parents to pay the fee. It wasnt until November that I received all the fees. Meanwhile, those in arrears were driving up in new SUV's and minivans to get the kids after school.

I was the first treasurer to EVER manage to collect from every parent. The school had set up a contingency fund to cover losses in the past. Pathetic.

Some people just feel entitled. Rich or poor.

BTW. We spent every cent on the kids that year. I refused to pay into the contingency fund, forcing the next treasurer to go after parents for payment instead of allowing that Bs to continue.


Throwing out the food after the kid was served only hurt the kid. The parasites that spawned the kid will never come forward to complain, unless of course it gets their mug on tv. Some people have no pride or shame.

If you cant feed your own kids, you need to change.

[rwm1273]

Originally Posted by huntinstuff

Its not a matter of people unable to afford the fee. The fact is, many just refuse to pay it

I was treasurer for a kindergarten in Beaumont. $300 fee for kindergarten.

I had to send letters home weekly, asking parents to pay the fee. It wasnt until November that I received all the fees. Meanwhile, those in arrears were driving up in new SUV's and minivans to get the kids after school.

I was the first treasurer to EVER manage to collect from every parent. The school had set up a contingency fund to cover losses in the past. Pathetic.

Some people just feel entitled. Rich or poor.

BTW. We spent every cent on the kids that year. I refused to pay into the contingency fund, forcing the next treasurer to go after parents for payment instead of allowing that Bs to continue.


Throwing out the food after the kid was served only hurt the kid. The parasites that spawned the kid will never come forward to complain, unless of course it gets their mug on tv. Some people have no pride or shame.

If you cant feed your own kids, you need to change.

I know the type. Living beyond their means. Driving a vehicle they can't afford, living in a house that they can't afford, and watching tv on the biggest tv, all purchased with credit that they can't keep up with.

They do this because nobody taught them to be fiscally responsible. And they teach their child to do the same thing. It is all about what you have, not what you can afford. It is modern society and the me first crowd. They deserve that big house, TV and car, and it is the bank's fault for foreclosing if they don't make their payments.

[sjemac]

Originally Posted by Okotokian

Actually it is. Check the title of this thread and the content and thrust of the story.

Again this appears to be a school lunch cashier who took matters into their own hands without consultation. They have been put on leave. This doesn't sound like it was a policy (if it was the developer of it must have wanted to murder their career) but the case of a rogue employee.

At my school we don't punish kids for unpaid fees. We let them participate in everything and keep billing parents. If they don't pay we wait until the debts build to a certain level and we sic collection agencies on the parents and wash our hands of it.

[huntinstuff]

Originally Posted by rwm1273

I know the type. Living beyond their means. Driving a vehicle they can't afford, living in a house that they can't afford, and watching tv on the biggest tv, all purchased with credit that they can't keep up with.

They do this because nobody taught them to be fiscally responsible. And they teach their child to do the same thing. It is all about what you have, not what you can afford. It is modern society and the me first crowd. They deserve that big house, TV and car, and it is the bank's fault for foreclosing if they don't make their payments.

My brother, you nailed it. Well said

[Big Daddy Badger]

Originally Posted by huntinstuff

My brother, you nailed it. Well said

Whoa whoa whoa guys... lets not forget... this was in the states.

We shouldn't assume that the social safety net there...looks anything at all like it does here.
For all we know these kids families might be working their butts off, shoeless and dirt poor.
Happens here to but lets face it... its far more common in the states.

We only know what was reported and even that could be bad intel.

[riden]

I think sjemac is right. If this were a school decision or policy, it would be clearly spelled out in articles. The media has spun this just enough to allow us to assume that.

This is one low paid employee, who got fed up and made a bad choice. And I for one completely get it. I am a teacher, will log 1500km this year on bus trips, spend 9 nights in hotels with students and eat a ton of meals with them. I coach b ball and run a volunteer program with Habitat for Humanity.

90+% of parents are awesome to deal with, but some are hard to stomach. Too many parents won't lift a finger to fundraise and won't kick in a penny. But expect a seat on the bus, a bed in a hotel and a chair at the table for their kids

It's shameful how much work is required from me to prove a parent\kid didn't do their part, and how little is required from the other side.

We live in a world of entitlement today, and some days I find it sickening. I completely get what drove this person to do something stupid.

[Sneeze]

Originally Posted by riden

We live in a world of entitlement today, and some days I find it sickening. I completely get what drove this person to do something stupid.

The attitude that entitled is yours.

Does a welder get upset with the oil company for not helping install the pipeline? Does a home builder get cranky with the customer when they are not helping frame their house? Does the waitress at the bar get mad when you don't pour your own drink?

Give your head a shake man - you have a job, do it. Stop asking parents to do it for you.

[riden]

Originally Posted by Sneeze

The attitude that entitled is yours.

Does a welder get upset with the oil company for not helping install the pipeline? Does a home builder get cranky with the customer when they are not helping frame their house? Does the waitress at the bar get mad when you don't pour your own drink?

Give your head a shake man - you have a job, do it. Stop asking parents to do it for you.

You're right Sneeze, I forgot. When lazy people, raise lazy kids.......it's my fault.

[aulrich]

I'll never say don't help the needy, but I am more of a "teach a person to fish" sort, but sometimes you just need to feed them. It's a tricky balance, and also best done by you and me and not the government. but that is another can of worms

But I also take the perspective that the dead beats and those gaming the system are taking money and resources from those who are in need. basically stealing from the poor.

Originally Posted by brownbomber

Should have been more clear. 50k per year earned by parents or you are paying for lunch. We pay a bit more than 6 bucks per day. Earn less than 50k a year and your a subsidized by people like me.
I do and I don't begrudge it. I would rather see that than see kids go hungry. Bad parents or not every kid deserves to eat. Call me liberal commie scum but the way I grew up was not everybody for themselves. We often had other kids over for supper etc, didn't understand until I was older.

[rwm1273]

Originally Posted by sjemac

Again this appears to be a school lunch cashier who took matters into their own hands without consultation. They have been put on leave. This doesn't sound like it was a policy (if it was the developer of it must have wanted to murder their career) but the case of a rogue employee.

At my school we don't punish kids for unpaid fees. We let them participate in everything and keep billing parents. If they don't pay we wait until the debts build to a certain level and we sic collection agencies on the parents and wash our hands of it.

There was a decision from higher up to limit those who don't pay for lunch. It appears it was left to the front line staff to carry out the policy.

I doubt it was the lunch lady who made the policy, or decided to carry out the policy after the fact. I would expect it was someone higher up who told the lunch staff to take the food away, and they did without considering the consequences.

I know I would refuse to take part, and I would push my colleagues to refuse to take part in such an abysmal decision.

[rwm1273]

Originally Posted by riden

I think sjemac is right. If this were a school decision or policy, it would be clearly spelled out in articles. The media has spun this just enough to allow us to assume that.

This is one low paid employee, who got fed up and made a bad choice. And I for one completely get it. I am a teacher, will log 1500km this year on bus trips, spend 9 nights in hotels with students and eat a ton of meals with them. I coach b ball and run a volunteer program with Habitat for Humanity.

90+% of parents are awesome to deal with, but some are hard to stomach. Too many parents won't lift a finger to fundraise and won't kick in a penny. But expect a seat on the bus, a bed in a hotel and a chair at the table for their kids

It's shameful how much work is required from me to prove a parent\kid didn't do their part, and how little is required from the other side.

We live in a world of entitlement today, and some days I find it sickening. I completely get what drove this person to do something stupid.

It was a decision of the child nutrition manager.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/n...taken/5053635/

Salt Lake City District spokesman Jason Olsen told the Salt Lake Tribune that parents with balances were contacted via phone Monday and Tuesday. They weren't able to reach all parents before the child-nutrition manager decided to withhold lunches to deal with the debts.

So the person responsible to ensure children are fed a proper nutritious meal took action to harm these kid's emotional well being, and to violate their policy of proper nutrition. My question is what is this person doing in that position?

[sjemac]

Originally Posted by rwm1273

It was a decision of the child nutrition manager.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/n...taken/5053635/

Salt Lake City District spokesman Jason Olsen told the Salt Lake Tribune that parents with balances were contacted via phone Monday and Tuesday. They weren't able to reach all parents before the child-nutrition manager decided to withhold lunches to deal with the debts.

So the person responsible to ensure children are fed a proper nutritious meal took action to harm these kid's emotional well being, and to violate their policy of proper nutrition. My question is what is this person doing in that position?

Child "nutrition manager" carries the same authority as "sanitation engineer". Lunch lady and garbage man.